User blog:The Elvendoodler/Headcanons: Elf Magic and How It Works
I typed this entire thing out, it was ready to post, but then my internet gave out. The Word document didn't save when I restarted my computer, so guess who had to write 1,500 words all over again? Stuff will be added/changed later, and I may fix up the formatting as well. Anyways, welcome back to my headcanons! Today I'll be talking about my personal thoughts on magic itself, Elf magic specifically and powersets. We'll also being getting a small taste of lore and history from my canon along the way. But Tori! Why did you specify Elf magic? Isn't all magic the same? Well, short answer: No. Long answer: Here we go. What is Magic? Magic is an energy found throughout the universe, just the same as radiation or thermal energy. But it’s different from other forms of energy, in that it is semi-sentient, making it a form of life. Magic exists throughout the entirety of the universe, its presence stronger in some places more than others. Different creatures channel magic in many different ways. Some do it through body motion, some through objects, and others through verbal incantations. Many species and races are tightly tied to particular magic types, either through natural means or a forced shift. Some are made entirely of magic, some are made from little to no magic, and many others fall somewhere in between. Original Elf Magic Click here for Original Elf Magic Current Elf Magic The original four factions of Elves fell during the Magic Siege, and shortly afterward the current four factions took their place. Elves now draw power from “Element Shards”, which house condensed forms of elemental magic. All Elves are descended from Terrestrial Elves, and display this ancestry in their ability to speak with animals (a weakened form of Mindtapping). The powers I list below are general and can cover lists of smaller powers in their own right. How an elf uses their magic is up to their own creativity and imagination. 'Earth Elves' Earth Elves take the most after their Terrestrial Elf predecessors, retaining most of their abilities. While Earth Elves cannot use their magic on magma, most other skills are still observed. Basic and Intermediate powerset for an Earth Elf: *Accelerate growth of plants *Forcefields *"Speak" to plants *Communicate with all animals (excluding insects) Advanced and Gifted powerset for an Earth Elf: *Smallscale Terraforming *Give semi-sentience to plant-life *Accelerate growth of crystals *Stimulate growth in animals (typically used for healing in small areas, but can also assist stunted growth) 'Fire Elves' Fire Elves also take closely after Terrestrial Elves, retaining abilities over magma. Unlike the other three factions, Fire Elves are totally immune to their element. Basic and Intermediate powerset for a Fire Elf: *Low level heat and fire immunity *Thermal conduction: Moving heat from one body/area to another *Summon flames *Smallscale Magmakinesis *Alter another's mental state: A slightly altered version of thermal conduction *Communicate with animals of the fire magic division Advanced and Gifted powerset for a Fire Elf: *Immunity to soaring heat (think walking by an active magma chamber) *Can physically touch molten material *Can walk on lava *Largescale Magmakinesis (think large waves of lava coming for your life) 'Wind Elves' Wind Elves stray the furthest from their Terrestrial Elf roots, displaying abilities that were commonly associated with Light Elves. Basic and Intermediate powerset for a Wind Elf: *Control the flow of air and wind currents *Push themselves and other objects with focused surges of air *Jump three times their height *Boosted running speed *Communicate with flying creatures (including insects) and animals of the wind magic division Advanced and Gifted powerset for a Wind Elf: *True levitation of objects *True flight (rarely used) *Summon small storms 'Water Elves' Water Elf magic has the widest range of use of the factions. Just by controlling water, an elf can use it as a tool to carry out jobs that would otherwise need multiple Elves to accomplish. Basic and Intermediate powerset for a Water Elf: *Control flow of water *Summon water into the air *Smallscale healing *Walk on water *Communicate with aquatic creatures and animals of the water magic division Advanced and Gifted powerset for a Water Elf: *Summon large bodies of water into the air *Split oceans (like Moses) *Breathe underwater *Smallscale healing Miscellaneous Powersets These are powers that any elf can possess regardless of their faction. From general charms and spells, to advanced techniques and abilities. Basic powersets *Charms and other low level spells *Using magic energy to levitate small objects *Pure magic **''Focused beams/orbs of magic that aren't channeled through a medium'' Intermediate powersets *Spells and hexes/curses *Using pure magic as quick body armor *Use of magic with little to no body movement Advanced and Gifted powersets *Shapeshifting (low level): **''Only a few forms are possible and each must be practiced numerous times'' *Shapeshifting (high level): **''Many forms are possible and don't require much practice. Typically found in naturally powerful Elves'' *Teleportation *Magic mixing Magic Mixing Magic mixing is an advanced practice in which an Elf will cross their birth magic with magic of another element. This technique comes easiest to those who were born with a lot of power, or those who have a parent belonging to the desired mixing magic. Examples of magic mixing: *''Rosalyn's healing practice'' *''Skyra summoning snow/lightning'' While true magic mixing is hard to come by, Elves have figured out a way to "hack" the technique. This is done by having two Elves of the desired elements and having them perform their magic on the target in unison. The consequences can be dire if this is done improperly, either by too much magic being used, the target is an ineffective medium, or the elements being used just naturally clash. Examples of hacked mixing: *''Aira and Naida create a bridge of ice'' *''Azari and Naida's magic collides (failed mixing)'' This practice is not to be confused with Hybridization, which is an even rarer phenomena on its own. Magic Inheritance The faction an elf belongs to relies solely on the faction the parents belong to. Elves tend to have families with Elves of the same faction, but there are growing numbers of Elf parents of different factions having a child together. The current magic likes to stay neat, so the chances of having an Elf child with hybrid magic are slim. If two Elves have a child, let's say the parents are a Wind Elf and a Water Elf, there is a 49.999% chance that child is one element or the other. Unlike genetics, magic does not skip a generation. So if two Wind Elves have a Fire Elf child, there's some foolery occurring. There are positives to having a child with parents of different elements. For example, magic mixing is easier with the element the child didn't inherit at birth. Hybridization Click here for Hybrid Magic Up Next Why Earth Doesn't Have Magic Category:Blog posts